[David M]

I just took delivery of a "preferred trim" IONIQ 5 in Canada. Love the car. But I had a bad experience the first time I got into the car to drive it at night. It was dark (of course) and when I opened the door, NO LIGHTS came on! I couldn't see anything. I knew there were map lights on the overhead console but couldn't see them. I fumbled for an On/Off switch in the dark. What I didn't see when I found something to press was that it was the Roadside Assistance button. I only found out when a voice came on asking me if this was an emergency or an error and if it was an error to press cancel. Problem was I couldn't seen where to press the cancel. I went back to the house to get a flashlight and read through the forums about this. I found the solution here (thanks). Turns out you have to manually enable the dome light to etc to turn on when the door is opened. Surely that should be an automatic function, or should be preset by the dealership before you take delivery. I hope someone from Hyundai is reading this.

 

[ikash]

Come on.

 

[Steel188]

I really don't know what to make of this! I hope you're just being sarcastic, otherwise I'd be asking how long have you been driving and do you not understand how interior lights, on every car made in the last 50 years, work?

 

[CoSolar]

That is the way most vehicles I've owned work. There is a switch to select between off, on and turn on when the door is opened.

 

[zamafir]

That is the way most vehicles I've owned work. There is a switch to select between off, on and turn on when the door is opened.

Lol, beyond that, is there no ambient lighting on the preferred trim in Canada?

 

[Rex]

There is, and it's set fairly bright from the factory.

When I took delivery of my car, I found that the overhead light was set to off as well. I did't soil myself however.

 

[stomish]

you're lyin 😂

 

[David M]

I really don't know what to make of this! I hope you're just being sarcastic, otherwise I'd be asking how long have you been driving and do you not understand how interior lights, on every car made in the last 50 years, work?

I have been driving for more than 50 years, many cars. Usually when you open the driver's door, the dome light comes on and if it doesn't, it has a swith on the light itself. In the case of the IONIQ5 NO lights came on whatsoever. And the switches or buttons or whatever to turn them on do not light up. So blind. go figure.

 

[Danne89]

You went to get a flashlight? No smartphone or just opening the sun wisor to turn on make-up mirror light?

In mine you can just swipe over the light and it turns on if door light is not turned on (or if you want light while driving)...
The emergency button, isn't that behind a lid you have to open and then press? How did you manage to press it?!

 

[nXt]

Ambient lights on the doors should turn on too, and the instrument cluster should turn on. But I mean come on, you can't see anything so you just fumble around touching and pressing everything?

 

[theSeb]

I have been driving for more than 50 years, many cars. Usually when you open the driver's door, the dome light comes on and if it doesn't, it has a swith on the light itself. In the case of the IONIQ5 NO lights came on whatsoever. And the switches or buttons or whatever to turn them on do not light up. So blind. go figure.

Sounds like it is time to stop driving, or have a mental fitness test, just in case.

Have you considered suing Hyundai for your pain and suffering?

 

[Flash328]

You may want to call JT directly for this one. Get the Mounties involved.

 

[zamafir]

Ambient lights on the doors should turn on too, and the instrument cluster should turn on. But I mean come on, you can't see anything so you just fumble around touching and pressing everything?

This was my confusion, is there no ambient lighting in that trim in Canada, that would surely be enough. That said, on odd call out as likely a porter toggled the light to off and the button simply needed to be pressed again.

Speaking off, that overhead console may be the nicest design I've ever seen on any car regardless of price (my past Audi/Porsches included), so so nice.

 

[TRT]

I just took delivery of a "preferred trim" IONIQ 5 in Canada. Love the car. But I had a bad experience the first time I got into the car to drive it at night. It was dark (of course) and when I opened the door, NO LIGHTS came on! I couldn't see anything. I knew there were map lights on the overhead console but couldn't see them. I fumbled for an On/Off switch in the dark. What I didn't see when I found something to press was that it was the Roadside Assistance button. I only found out when a voice came on asking me if this was an emergency or an error and if it was an error to press cancel. Problem was I couldn't seen where to press the cancel. I went back to the house to get a flashlight and read through the forums about this. I found the solution here (thanks). Turns out you have to manually enable the dome light to etc to turn on when the door is opened. Surely that should be an automatic function, or should be preset by the dealership before you take delivery. I hope someone from Hyundai is reading this.

Just on the off chance you are serious, yes it is something you’d expect from a competent predlivery service. But not exactly a huge issue, notwithstanding the misplaced emergency call. That said, I recall an extremely senior public servant in Aus once wrote to a manufacturer because the volume was set too high on his radio when he started it for the first time 😂🙄.

 

[Pete B]

I have to agree with the original post, not quite such an ordeal but it was rather unusual.

In all the cars I have ever owned the DEFAULT was to have to dome light come on when you open a door.
The Ioniq 5 is exactly the opposite which is rather weird.

Also, the icons on the buttons are less than obvious and it doesn't help that the first time you notice there is no dome light is when you need it.

By the time I finished at the dealership for my car it was after dark and when I got home to my drive it was really annoying to not have a dome light.

 

[David M]

Pete B, Thank you. To the others, I appreciate your advice that I give up driving etc. I was only pointing out what I think is a User Experience design error. The default should be ON not OFF. I have worked in Human Factors Engineering -- albeit in airport design and signage. I learned a lot about how people react in stressful situations, including getting off the plane and entering an airport you've never been in before. But I digress... though entering a completely dark car without your eyes having had time to dark-adapt is a stressor. As to the emergency call button being behind some kind of door you need to open. Not in my case. Also in the dark, it is not lit either, so you can't see it if you need emergency help.

All am doing is suggesting that Hyundai change the default setting for the lighting. Is that too much? I love the car but that does not make it perfect (I have several other UX and UI peeves with the interior and screen design -- oh and also as a software developer I was involved in User Interface development that actually had real users test designs to try and identify annoyances and fix them in advance, but that is probably not relevant )

Thanks again
David

 

[IonicZ]

Really? My light was also in the off position, but like any other car, no big deal.

 

[Danne89]

Pete B, Thank you. To the others, I appreciate your advice that I give up driving etc. I was only pointing out what I think is a User Experience design error. The default should be ON not OFF. I have worked in Human Factors Engineering -- albeit in airport design and signage. I learned a lot about how people react in stressful situations, including getting off the plane and entering an airport you've never been in before. But I digress... though entering a completely dark car without your eyes having had time to dark-adapt is a stressor. As to the emergency call button being behind some kind of door you need to open. Not in my case. Also in the dark, it is not lit either, so you can't see it if you need emergency help.

All am doing is suggesting that Hyundai change the default setting for the lighting. Is that too much? I love the car but that does not make it perfect (I have several other UX and UI peeves with the interior and screen design -- oh and also as a software developer I was involved in User Interface development that actually had real users test designs to try and identify annoyances and fix them in advance, but that is probably not relevant )

Thanks again
David

Yours most look different than mine then? Mine is EU spec with panoramic roof. The button for door light is not hard to recognize and SOS button is behind a lid. Also turns on if I swipe over the light.

 

[zamafir]

I have to agree with the original post, not quite such an ordeal but it was rather unusual.

In all the cars I have ever owned the DEFAULT was to have to dome light come on when you open a door.
The Ioniq 5 is exactly the opposite which is rather weird.

Is it the default or did the porter just tap the button in the overhead which set it to off?

 

[Steel188]

It is a widely accepted process for dealer service departments to turn the interior lights off so they can leave the doors open for hours, if needed, without flattening the battery. On the same basis, they would also turn auto headlights off, which may stop any ambient lighting from working as well.

Do they turn them back on afterwards, usually not, because is is not unreasonble for them to expect the user to know how to do this. End of conversation. Flick the switch and get on with your life with a smile. If you don't know where that massive switch is with your eyes closed, it's not your dealer or Hyundai's problem. It's your car, you should know how to operate it, because I would not be at all suprised that the next time it sees the inside of a dealer workshop, they will do exactly the same thing and not give it a second thought, nor should they.

If I complained about this to my dealer I would expect him to line all his staff up and laugh at me, and do you know what, I'd deserve it.